5 Beauty Tips for Glasses Wearers

I feel like I'm becoming an old lady because as time goes by, I am relying more and more on my reading glasses. I never used to wear them at all but now I find myself reaching for them whilst at work - staring at a screen all day means my glasses are a must! As a result, my make-up look has evolved to work with my frames and I wanted to put together some tips for those of you who wear glasses and contact lenses in the UK, using some of my favourite products.

1. Don't Forget to Curl
I always make sure I curl my lashes if I'm going to be wearing my glasses. My lashes are short and straight, so curling them is a must to open up my eyes and curl my eyelashes eyes away from my lenses. By their very nature, glasses draw attention to your eyes so I find it so important to make them look as awake as possible.

2. Line up
Eyeliner is another must when wearing glasses and contact lenses. I prefer a brown shade at the moment and I am obsessed with my Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl eyeliner, accompanied by lashings of her Full Fat Lashes mascara. Both give me sexy and glamorous eyes with minimum effort, which look great behind my thick retro frames.

3. Cream is Queen
I tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to eyeshadow anyway and I always keep my eyeshadow neutral when I'm wearing my glasses. I also stick to cream eyeshadows so I don't need to worry about fall out - especially if you are a contact lenses wearer! My current favourite is this Rimmel shadow stick, which is perfect for scribbling on my eyelids in the morning when I'm too sleepy and lazy to bother with a palette!

4. Frame your frames
You may be wearing frames, but don't forget to frame them - using your brows. Brows are so important when wearing glasses and I have recently been using the Brow Wow pencil from Barry M. It was a bargain at just £3.99, has a spoolie and it is the perfect shade to define my brows.

5. Go Bold
When I'm wearing my retro glasses, I love my makeup to reflect the vintage look of my frames, so I can't resist pairing my neutral eyes with a bold lip. It draws attention away from your glasses if you aren't so confident about wearing frames and I always feel so much more put together if I am wearing a nice lipstick. I am completely obsessed with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, in particular the deep red Monte Carlo, and I have recently discovered they are stocked on Asos - which means soon I will probably have every shade!

How do you adapt your make-up routine when you are wearing glasses? I'd love to hear your tips!

*This is a sponsored post*

Jess

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Get Fit Skin with Mio Skincare

At the grand old age of 23, I am finally realising that I can't just roll out of bed and look my best. Skincare products are a must in my beauty regime and after revitalising my facial skincare with some amazing acne-fighting products, my attention has turned to the rest of my body:

Mio Skincare offer a range of high-intensity body care to really tackle skin and body issues. It sounds pretty intense and that's because it is, thanks to their motto to provide 'fit skin for life.' The products sent to me were a bit of a mixed bag, which gave me an overview of the brand, so I wanted to run through the products I loved and the products I, well, didn't love.

First, let's get the product I didn't rate out of the way: the Get Waisted Sculpting Body Shaper* which was included in a goody bag at an event and therefore not tailored to me. I hate products which claim to 'sculpt,' 'blast away fat' or generally 'cheat' your way to a slimmer body. These products are always accompanied by the caveat that the product works best when used in combination with diet and exercise - no sh*t, Sherlock! I just don't rate them so I was never going to be impressed with this product as I think any cheat products won't work and will leave you feeling more demotivated than a fitness regime and healthy eating plan.

However, the other products were much more suited to me, as I was specifically sent them by Mio Skincare. I was sent the 'Run Faster' kit*, which includes a miniature Liquid Yoga, Workout Wonder and two Clean Wipes, all perfect for your gym bag. Liquid Yoga is designed to be used in the bath to ease aching muscles but I don’t actually have a bath (hence my lack of obsession with Lush bath bombs!) Instead, I like to use it as a foot soak to ease my aching feet after a run or even just a long day shopping. Workout Wonder is a great little product, which you apply either before or after a workout to sooth and revive tired muscles. I always suffer from horrendous DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) after heavy weight workouts, so this little bottle is perfect to relieve and wake up my exhausted muscles. Finally, the Clean Wipes are perfect to chuck in my gym bag for a quick freshen up if I don't have time for a shower - gross but true!

My absolute favourite product was the Mio Body Brush*. These dry body brushes are supposed to be fantastic for dry skin, cellulite, ingrown hairs and scarring. My skin suffers over winter as I always end up neglecting it, so I've been making a conscious effort to use the body brush before the shower a few times a week to exfoliate my tired body. The massage nodules alongside the boar bristles gives a more intense brush than I was expecting and my body always feels awake and refreshed after each use. I would really recommend it if you feel like your skin needs an extra boost this Winter!

Have you tried anything from Mio Skincare? What were your thoughts?

Jess

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Do It Yourself Skincare

I do love a bit of a DIY and since I attended the Preloved Bloggers' event in Manchester, I've been converted to the wonders of creating beauty products yourself. Combining coconut oil with coffee grounds left my legs feeling the smoothest they've ever been and I now regularly repeat the trick - although I now use sugar rather than coffee grounds as it's easier to get hold of and less likely to ruin the drains! Today I wanted to share some other DIY skincare recipes and get messy in the kitchen:

Mira Showers wanted to show how easy it is to make quick skincare fixes from store cupboard ingredients and some water from the tap and Naz from Midas Touch Crafts designed some DIY recipes for me to try. First, I wanted to try a DIY Face Scrub, so I took some simple porridge oats and added some lemon juice and honey. I then mixed it with water and gave my face a scrub. Yes, it felt a little odd but it only cost about £1! Lemon juice is great for brightening and you can even add some cocoa powder for some colour.

I love making my own DIY Lip Scrub - sure, Lush is nice but, for me, it's so overpriced when you can just do it yourself. I use an old sample pot, wash it out and add some coconut oil - coconut oil really is the magic ingredient for all DIY skincare! I then like to mix in some brown sugar, which tastes delicious, and some honey for even more sweetness and its restorative properties. If you keep it in the fridge, it's sure to last and the coconut oil is a saviour during these cold, windy months. My Mum doesn't understand the point of lip scrubs, but I think they're key for leaving my lips feeling nourished and new.

It's really that quick and easy to make a DIY face scrub and lip scrub - these probably took me about five minutes and used ingredients which were already in my cupboard. Have you ever tried the DIY approach? What are your favourite DIY recipes?

*This post is in collaboration with Mira Showers and the Midas Touch Crafts*

Jess

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Skincare Saviours

My skin has always been a problem for me and a part of my appearance which is definitely linked to my self-confidence. When my skin is looking good, which isn’t often in my eyes, I feel so much better, wear less make-up and generally feel happier. It feels slightly ridiculous to have my skin affect my mood so much but it makes a difference to the way people treat you, particularly those who have always had naturally good skin, and I’m always looking for new products to improve my acne, scarring and dark circles.

Luckily, I’m finally starting to find some products which really make a difference. I was over the moon to win a Magnitone Lucid at the Bloggers' Blog Awards in the raffle – if I could have chosen my prize, I would definitely have headed straight for this. I have only used this for two weeks and I am honestly blown away. Thanks to my crappy skin, I wasn’t expecting this to make much difference but I have been amazed. I’ve only used it two or three times a week, thanks to Hayley’s Magnitone review explaining how using it daily can damage the acid mantle in the skin, but there has still been a huge change. My bumpy, sore spots have disappeared and I’ve also noticed a difference in my scarring. The Magnitone effectively removes all my make-up and leaves my skin feeling super clean but not ‘scrubbed’ and sore. The device itself is basically a massive electric toothbrush for your face, and works in much the same way – using a moving brush to work deeper and more thoroughly. I was initially sceptical that it would make any difference, but the results speak for themselves and it’s a product I am excited to continue using.

I’ve also recently upped my skincare regime to include some more high-end products. I was kindly sent this Ole Henrikson Three Little Wonders mini gift set* by Escentual (£18.00) and they've become a must-have.  The trio takes you from morning ‘til evening, with three products which work together to help your skin. It’s aimed at fighting the signs of aging but you can never start too early  and I’ve found it’s really helped my skin generally too. The Truth Serum Collagen Booster is applied in the morning to clean skin and I love the citrus scent to wake me up in the mornings. Then, I apply the Sheer Transformation Moisturiser which sinks nicely into my skin, leaving my face feeling nourished and ready for make-up. Some cheaper moisturisers don’t react well with foundation I find, but Sheer Transformation actually helps my make-up stay in place for longer. At night, I remove my make-up and use Invigorating Night Treatment – a slightly gloopy, transparent cream which feels weird on my fingers but nice on my face! I then add some more Sheer Transformation to leave my skin feeling soft and ready for bed.

As an alternative moisturiser in the evenings, I love the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream* (£43.50) for a luxurious yet light moisturiser. There is no scent, which I often find overpowering at bedtime, and you can tell that the product is great quality, plus a little goes a long way. Kiehl's have just released a new limited edition of this Ultra Facial Cream, slightly bizarrely in partnership with Tinie Tempah. The collaboration is to raise money for MTV Staying Alive, with £2 from each pot being donated to the HIV/AIDs charity. So not only does this leave my skin feeling nourished, but it’s for a good cause too.

Overall, I’m actually starting to become happy about the state of my skin and it is thanks to these products. I always feel self-conscious posting a review focused on my skin, as I think everyone is going to judge the quality of my skin, but these products have made a huge difference. I'm excited to see how my skin continues to improve - do you have any wonder products you would recommend? Have you tried any of the products in this post?

Jess

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Birthday Wishlist

It's my birthday next Wednesday and I am definitely not prepared to turn 23! I'm starting to feel scarily like an adult, despite the fact my student card is still valid (a fact I am desperately holding onto until it expires!) I wanted to put together a little wishlist of some items I've been lusting after, and what better time to do it than just before my birthday?

1. A Bit of Fit

I love the idea of a FitBit as a great motivator to work out and just be more generally active. I’ve been struggling with my gym routine recently as I have thrown myself into working three part-time jobs and blogging as much as possible, leaving little time to workout. I love my fitness apps and the pedometer on the Nokia Lumia 735 was one of my favourite elements of the phone, as I mentioned in my Lumia review. Now I am back to using my regular phone, I miss this app and the FitBit is great for tracking general walking as well as gym sessions. Working so much, I’m also having to adjust to the lack of sleep so I think the sleep tracker would be another brilliant addition to my gadgets.

2. Give Me A Ring

As I just mentioned, I have become increasingly frustrated with my Huawei phone and hoping to invest in a new one. The camera simply isn’t good enough, particularly for Instagram, and I’ve got no more room to download any apps. Rather than irritating everyone with my constant moaning about it, I should probably just get a new one! An iPhone would be the dream, but I just can't justify the price as much as I try to!

3. Jean-ius

I’m trying to get the hang of my ‘adult’ wardrobe, especially now that I need a 'work' wardrobe, a 'blogger' wardrobe and a 'casual weekend' wardrobe (although this normally just means pyjamas!) These J Brand* jeans from Trilogy are expensive, but the kind of great quality which makes all the difference to a wardrobe. I love the skinny fit and the ankle roll ups are trendy and perfect for my short frame. A great pair of jeans looks great in all kinds of situations and it's something I think is a great investment piece.

4. All About The Eyes

I always feel frivolous asking for make-up as a gift so this is definitely something I would buy as a treat for myself, rather than expect somebody else to buy me. For me, make-up is a luxury not a basic so I feel guilty asking for something so unnecessary – although I suppose that’s what the treat of a birthday present is all about! I have been umm-ing and ahh-ing over the Charlotte Tilbury range for months now and I would love to invest in something for my make-up bag. I’m leaning towards the Dolce Vita palette thanks to its beautiful colours and glamourous packaging, although I’m tempted by a lipstick too.

6. You're A Wizard, Harry
Isn't it beautiful? I've been following the build up for the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for months now and I am so excited that it is finally published! Bloomsbury have done a fantastic job of the design and the illustrations I have seen so far by Jim Kay have been breathtaking. I've managed to resist buying a copy as my birthday is so close so fingers crossed somebody decides to treat me!

I seem to have chosen fairly expensive items for my birthday wishlist – I promise I’m not getting greedy! I think, as I get older, I’m starting to realise the value in items I need and want to invest in, as opposed to fast fashion or ‘filler’ gifts. I may not have learnt that one good quality item is better than 10 tshirts from Primark (I don’t think I’ll ever be able to quite shake that habit!) but I know the difference between what I need and what I want. This list is admittedly things that I want, and I could do without them all, but they are slightly more sensible and definitely items I would get a lot of use out of. How do your birthday wishlist tastes change each year?

*This is a sponsored post*

Jess

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Paul Mitchell Ultimate Colour Repair Review

A few months ago, I headed up to Leeds for a few days and attended an event with Paul Mitchell to discover their new Ultimate Colour Repair range. Because I am a terrible blogger, I then took the products home, started using them but completely forgot to actually post about them. So today I wanted to finally let you know my thoughts:

Thanks to my aforementioned tardiness, I have had plenty of time to trial the shampoo, conditioner and heat-protect spray we were given to try. The range is aimed at coloured hair but although my hair isn't dyed, it could do with a boost. People always talk about how blonde hair can get dull but I think brunette can be just as bad and my hair has recently started to feel a bit lifeless. This range has quinoa in it, as apparently super foods can even cure your hair! I'm not quite convinced about this, but I can't deny that the products feel nourishing on my thick, dry hair. They also smell completely delicious, you seriously need to give them a sniff if you can because they are way better than Herbal Essences in terms of scent.

I found that the shampoo and conditioner gave my hair a much need boost after just a couple of washes and my hair also lasted well. I'm currently trying to train my hair to need washing less often and the Ultimate Colour Repair range meant that I can still get away with washing it every other day; something which would have been unheard of a year ago. 

The heat protect spray is my favourite, partly thanks to its cute smaller size which is perfect for travelling. It slips into my rucksack easily and makes such a difference to my hair if I’m using hotel shampoo for a weekend. Although this isn’t its real purpose, it works really well as a de-tangler on my thick hair and leaves it feeling soft and nourished, even with the use of hair straighteners.

Overall, the Paul Mitchell range looks great and I'm itching to get my hands on the Quick Styling range, as I'm so lazy with my haircare routine and always want a quick fix. Have you tried the Ultimate Colour Repair range? What else would you recommend from Paul Mitchell?

Jess

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treaclemoon: Those Lemonade Days

I love fun and exciting beauty products, so when I was offered an item from treaclemoon’s range I jumped at the chance to review a product. I’ve been a fan of their raspberry body butter for years and I was excited to be given the opportunity to try a different scent from the range; in this case, the 'those lemonade days' bath and shower gel.

I was drawn to the lemonade option as I love fresh and citrus scents and in the recent weather, a lemonade shower gel seemed like a great summer body wash. I love the positive and outgoing messages on all of treaclemoon’s packaging – they remind me of Innocence in the way that they evoke a feeling of happiness and their upbeat branding always brings a smile to my face. For me, beauty is something to have fun with – fundamentally, you can get clean using any product, so why not choose one that cheers up your shower in the morning?

The scent of the shower gel is similar to lemon curd, or as the name obviously implies, lemonade. It is bright, zingy and the right level of sweet. My skin felt fresh and clean, without feeling dry, and the gel lathered up well in the shower - I don't have a bath so could only try it as a shower gel, but it worked really well. Finally, the price is excellent and so affordable. This lemonade shower gel is just £2,99 from either their website or Tesco stores and a great addition to any bathroom.

Have you tried any products from treaclemoon? What would be your dream shower gel flavour?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a pair of hippy harems from Adorned!

Jess

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The Library of Fragrance

I am not a huge perfume wearer; not because I dislike it, in fact when I do wear it I love it, but simply because I forget about it. I've been wearing the same DKNY Be Delicious for years but recently I've been getting out of my perfume comfort zone, in a particularly unusual way thanks to The Library of Fragrance:

As soon as I saw this Gin and Tonic Cologne* on some of my favourite blogs, I knew that I needed to try it. As you may know, I do love a G&T and I couldn't resist trying this scent. Of course, there is an inevitable fear of smelling like you've been on a night out but the scent is surprisingly subtle, It is unmistakably the scent of gin and tonic, yet somehow zesty, bright and summery. I think it's a gorgeous light scent as well as a talking point!

I was also sent two samples of some of The Library of Fragrances' best-selling fragrances. Baby Powder* smells exactly as you would imagine, but again, this isn't unpleasant. Instead, think of a scent which is light, subtle and somehow 'clean.' Thunderstorm* is my favourite of the two samples, and really has that feeling of incoming rain. The fragrances are all unisex, and although Thunderstorm is the best-selling fragrance for men in the line, I would still wear it myself. It shows just how versatile these fragrances are - they can even be combined and worn together to create a scent personal to you.

I've been completely blown away by The Library of Fragrance. I think they've brought something fresh and new to the perfume world. If you haven't had a sniff of their fantastic, unique fragrances, head down to Boots where they are on offer for 2 for £25. Let me know what you think of the Gin and Tonic version!

Have you tried anything from The Library of Fragrance?

Jess

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Get The Perfect Tan: Lush The Sunblock

Today I wanted to share with you a slightly bizarre product, which I discovered last Summer from Lush. The Sunblock is a solid wash-on massage bar with an SPF of 30 and, at the risk of sounding dramatic, the results are incredible:

When I discovered this product in a goody bag from a blog event, I was skeptical. How could a massage bar, which you actually wash off in the shower, work as a sunscreen? I wasn't buying it and I didn't want to risk my skin, especially after suffering from some awful sunburn on holiday the year before. However, when my Summer holiday came around, I chucked it in my suitcase to trial anyway. For the first few days, I massaged the bar onto my skin in the shower, then topped up with normal suncream. I quickly developed the best tan I've had in years and for the rest of the week, I just used The Sunblock. Remember when as a child you seemed to get an incredible tan with almost no effort? It was just the same. I'm not sure whether it was using a higher SPF than I usually do, the massaging style of the bar or that Lush are simply genius, but my skin was left bronzed, nourished and without any redness in sight. Lush recommend that you use a third of the bar at a time, but I found that the bar lasted me an entire week away in Greece.

As a result, when I booked my holidays to Croatia and Kefalonia for this month (for me, Summer is starting early), The Sunblock was the first product I headed out to buy. I'm hoping to recreate that long-lost tan from last Summer and I'm sure that this product is the way to do it. Another huge bonus is that it is solid; therefore it's perfect for any holidays, like my trip to Croatia, which are hand-baggage only. Now I don't need to bring a liquid sunscreen with me, there is so much more room for make-up in my liquid allowance - hurrah! Whilst I was in store I spotted Powdered Sunshine, the dusting powder equivalent of The Sunblock, which I was also tempted by. If you have tried it, please send me any reviews in the comments. I only just resisted, as I had already packed my bottle of Vanilla Puff, but I'm intrigued by the idea of a powdered sunscreen. Who needs liquid sunscreen anymore?

Have you tried anything from the Lush suncare range? Do you have any top tips for a great tan?

Jess

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Preloved Bloggers Event

Hello! I’ve been a busy bee lately, spending the last week in London then Leeds. Today I’m skipping to my weekend t’up North, as I was kindly invited to an intimate blogger event in Manchester for Preloved. I was so excited to receive the email from the wonderful Terri Lowe because I have been a fan of her blog for a long time and always wanted to meet her. I headed over to Manchester for the day, with my fellow blogger pals Kel, Simone and Sammie, for some lunch and blogging.

Preloved are a company I was already aware of as our dog was listed on there as a puppy – something I will be talking about in more detail in another post. Basically put, you can list anything you wish to sell, unwanted or second-hand for free. It's a great website to check out at this time of year if you are spring cleaning! To keep with the ethical and DIY ethos of the website, the event centred around some craft activities. I love getting crafty and trying out the various DIYs from my Pinterest account, so this was the perfect event for me.

We started by creating our own coffee body scrub. These have been floating around to buy on Instagram recently and I couldn’t understand why you would pay for something which is so easy to do yourself. It was great to try and make my own, although it was a pretty messy task! I was a little sceptical of this, I must admit, until I tried it. Oh wow, I was genuinely blown away. My legs were instantly smooth, soft and hydrated and I couldn't stop touching my legs all day. I prompty bought a huge tub of coconut oil as this is now going to become a major part of my skincare routine.

Then, Terri’s granddad had kindly provided us with a pile of keys to paint and turn into necklaces. We used some nail varnish to add some colour to our keys and then threaded them with a pretty ribbon. I love quirky jewellery so this is something I will genuinely wear – in fact it went straight around my neck to wear home!

The event was one of those lovely, friendly events and I had a wonderful afternoon. The venue was also really interesting. It was called Ziferblat and is an exciting new concept; tea, coffee, cereal and biscuits are all free but you pay for your time. It costs 5p a minute to do whatever you like in the café, whether that be study, hold a meeting or turn a key into a necklace! I thought the concept was great fun and something I would definitely use to study. It is a different way of looking at things, much like Preloved, and I had a lovely day out in Manchester as a result. So thank you to Terri and the Preloved team!

Have you used Preloved? Do you have any favourite DIYs to share? 

P.S. Don't forget to enter my competition to win an awesome Game of Thrones book!

Jess

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British Beauty Blogger: Dream Box III

If you love your beauty and your blogs, you have inevitably heard of British Beauty Blogger and her boxes. If you haven't, Jane is a fantastic beauty-blogger who occasionally works in collaboration with Latest in Beauty to provide incredible limited-edition beauty boxes. I've always lusted after the offerings and this time, I couldn't resist finally treating myself to the Dream Box III:

The box cost me just £21.95 including P&P and includes this huge array of goodies. I love that it is a one off purchase, without tying you into a long subscription of varying quality and there are a fantastic array of both high-end and high-street products. Out of the box, I only owned the Bourjois Velvet Matte in Nude-Ist before, but since it is a firm favourite of mine, the fact it was included was actually a huge bonus as I wanted another!

The box is everything I hoped it would be and I didn't know quite where to start! I wanted to run through some of my stand-out favourites. First of all, I adore the Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche. I've heard incredible things about Nuxe and was excited to see it included for the first time in a British Beauty Blogger box. This face mask is thin yet so hydrating and I love popping it on for ten minutes whilst I tidy my room or do my hair. Another bonus is that it's clear, so I will be popping it in my hand luggage for any flights or long journeys for a moisturising boost for travel-tired skin, and nobody need know!

The Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleansing Balm is a revelation. First things first, it smells delicious and the texture is wonderful. Like an oil but also a jelly, it's the best way to remove my makeup and is simply a joy to use. Just a small dab is enough to deal with my eye makeup, so it's going to last me a long time before I inevitably repurchase.

The Hand Chemistry hand cream is thick and nourishing, and great for replenishing my poor hands which are always dry. For my dry lips, the Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil stick is brilliant; it feels great on my lips and I love anything with Argan Oil in it. The only slightly strange thing is it twists the other way to every other lip balm I own. which always confuses me! My skin has been feeling rather dry and cracked after too many late nights, so these products have been getting a lot of use lately.

The Salon Science Reglosse Smoothing Serum is another new brand for me which I am now a fan of! My hair is in generally good quality, but this tames any flyaway hairs I may have and helps protect it from any heat from my GHDs. I also find it easier to brush after applying this to my ends. Finally, I wanted to mention the Orelia Gold Tattoos, which I am very excited to wear when I head to Croatia next month!

All in all, there is nothing in the box I don't enjoy and I could go over every product and praise it! It's by far the best value and highest quality box I have received, so I will be keeping an eye out for future boxes. It's taken me a while to take the plunge, but I am now a British Beauty Blogger Box addict!

Have you tried these boxes? Which other boxes would you recommend?

Jess

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#CambMeetUp

I love meeting local bloggers and have missed my amazing Leeds bloggers since moving down South. However, it turns out there are some pretty nice bloggers in Cambridge too and I recently got the chance to meet a few of them at the #CambMeetUp. The meet up itself was held in Revolution and I was amazed by how many bloggers there were in Cambridge, after assuming that there were hardly any of us! Pippa, from Clashing Time, did an incredible job of involving a huge range of brands to talk about their businesses and even treat us to some goodies. It was a brilliant mix of some very well-known brands and smaller independent companies.

The Million Dollar Moisturiser from Lush is an intense facial moisturiser, with the added benefit of SPF 15. It's a little heavy for me to wear on a daily basis underneath makeup, but I think it'll be great in Summer to provide some sun protection. I'll be taking it to Croatia with me next month! We were also treated to a miniature L'Occitane's Cleansing Oil. I love my The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil, so it's great to compare the two as I think they're a great part of my beauty regime. The L'Occitane version is very gentle and the size is perfect for travelling.

There were also some independent brands who I hadn't come across before. I love the cute cake-themed badges from Jilly Jilly - they couldn't be more perfect for me! This beautiful scarf from Lisa Angel was also so generous. I love the tie-dye and purple tassles, along with the motto 'we are made out of stars, you and I.' Finally, what better theme for a Cambridge meet up than a bicycle necklace? This one is from Claireabellemakes and is a cute addition to my jewellery collection.

There were also some tasty treats from Chocolat Chocolat and Kettle Chips, which were obviously demolished before I got round to photographing them! I'd also like to thanks The Blogger Programme for helping Pippa with her meet, and of course Pippa again for allowing me to meet some lovely local bloggers!

All products included in the #CambMeetUp Goody Bag.

Jess

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Long Haulin'

If you haven't heard me go on (and on) about it yet, on Saturday I am flying to New York! There are no words to describe how excited I am and since I am a huge planner, I have been writing lists for about a month! Today I wanted to share my beauty essentials for the long haul flight:

Small sizes are key for long haul flights, so I raided my sample draw for a small but powerful moisturiser. This Bioderma Ultra-Nourishing Balm from Escentual* is deeply nourishing for my skin, but the sensitive formula means I won't break out either. I know that hydration will be key to keep my skin happy over the flight, so I am planning on going make-up free and topping up my skincare throughout the flight. I will also be packing a tiny pot of coconut oil for any pesky dry spots and my under-eyes. I love this tiny pot, which was part of a Primark Travel Set and cost just £1 for three bottles, one pot, a funnel and labels - such a bargain! I also picked up this L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream as part of a free duo from L'Occitane's Facebook page - they always offer great samples to try so it's worth 'liking' their page as I love their products, especially when they are free!

My in-flight read will be The Luminaries, which I have had on my 'to-read' pile since it won the Man Booker Prize last year. Finally, I will have plenty of time to tick it off my list! At some point, I will inevitably snooze, so my hand-made eye mask will be a must have. It's made from a vintage silk scarf and is so comfortable - let me know if you want a DIY tutorial!

Just before landing, some makeup will be needed before I brave New York. I'm planning on keeping it simple with some concealer and a little powder. The Maybelline Eye Eraser Concealer in Light (£7.99) has been raved about by so many bloggers recently, so I obviously couldn't resist! I'll make sure I review it in full soon, but in short, it really does brighten and conceal the eye area and any blemishes. Another blogger-enabled purchase is the Bourjois Healthy Balance Compact Powder in Vanilla (£8.99). I already use the Bourjois Healthy Balance Foundation in the same shade, so this powder has seamlessly fitted into my make-up bag, providing light coverage and the matte finish I love. Finally, a touch of Benefit's Roller Lash from last month's Elle magazine will add a pop of glamour to my exhausted face and open up those tired eyes until I reach my hotel room.

What are your long haul flight essentials?

Jess

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The Lip Lacquer Lowdown

Recently, lip lacquers, or matte lipsticks which are packaged and apply like a gloss, have become a standard form of lipstick. I love matte lips and the precision which a lipgloss wand provides, so today I'm sharing three highstreet lip lacquers and my thoughts on them:

1. MUA Velvet Luxe Lip Lacquer in Dare: £3
This is the cheapest of the bunch, but probably my least favourite. I love the colour, as I had been hunting for a pink toned berry shade and it was a bargain at just £3. However, the staying power isn't as impressive as the other two products - the center of my lips lost all colour after my meal, and left me with a very strange 'lip line' around the edge of my lips; not a good look! This has put me off wearing the shade unless I am going somewhere where I won't be drinking or eating lots, as much as I love the colour. However, it does apply smoothly and consistently onto my lips and I actually love it more in these photos.

2. Boujois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist: £8.99
I've reviewed this lipstick in a different shade, Peach Club, a long time ago and these are still my ultimate lipsticks. What I love most is the incredible staying power - so many lipsticks disappear as soon as I have cup of tea or a meal, and since I spend nearly all of my time eating or drinking, this is a deal-breaker. I can't be bothered to be constantly reapplying lippie! This stuff stays glued to my lips throughout food, drink and nights out so they have become my evening makeup staple. My brighter shades have now started to lose their opacity as they run out but given that they have lasted me over 8 months, I am not too disappointed and I will definitely be repurchasing. These are the best of the bunch of the lip lacquers I have tried, so if you want to try this style of lipstick, head to Bourjois!

3. Rimmel London Apolcalips Matte in Meteoric Matte: £6.50
Finally, I purchased this lip laquer last week from Asos, as they had reduced it in a flash sale - they are getting really good at beauty and becoming one of my favourite places to buy makeup from. I was looking for a similar colour to the MUA version, with a better staying power but it isn't very even on application. The colours are pretty similar, although this is slightly darker and more 'vampy,' so I was pleased that the online swatch was accurate. The one thing that the Bourjois range is lacking are some berry shades, as they now seem to focusing on their nude range. This lipstick has the best wand of the bunch, as it is far more pointed and therefore allows a really precise application, especially on your cupid's bow. As well as not topping up my lipstick, I'm also very lazy about liner so if I can skip this step, I will!

Which matte lip lacquers would you recommend? I've got my eye on the Sephora Cream Lip Stains and the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks when I head to New York in just three weeks!

Jess

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